The Play of the Plague

 A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe explains the effects of the bubonic plague in London around the 1600s. This immersive story explains the ins and outs of the plague and the toll it takes on society as a who but also individually. Socially and economically, the city began to crumble due to the plague. People began to act different in many ways ranging all across the spectrum of greed to selflessness and sacrifice for others. While reading the journal, I was reminded of a show I am currently watching, The Last of Us which is based around a society going through a zombie apocalypse focusing on a few characters individually. Nonetheless, both selflessness and greed are exemplified in each piece. I find it so interesting to dive into the 1600s and the resolutions to situations of inhabitants whether it's socially, politically, economically, or even all three. In one portion of the journal, a watchman is heard crying with no one answering. Suddenly, he found out the reason which had been a woman unresponsive on the floor. It broadens to similar situations of infected people being trapped in their homes while family members found ways to get around obstacles authorities had put in place; much like The Last of Us. The journal as well as the ongoing show both send out a friendly reminder as well as a message that working together in a time of a crisis is widely more important. The average human being cannot takeover or change the world yet a group can do so as more hands on deck relay more impact. 


https://www.britannica.com/event/Black-Death


Comments

  1. McKenna HolzMay 1, 2023 at 8:39 AM

    It is so interesting that you connected the Journal of the Plague Year with The Last of Us! I also like how you furthered your connection by highlighting that both the text and the show are emphasizing the individual experience in relation to the social/group experience. Dafoe's narrator, since it is told from a first person point of view, definitely highlights that individual experience, but the use of the various charts and statistics as well as his various encounters and observations of others also show the effects of the populace.
    Word Count: 91

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